Individual Development Account Program Design Handbook: A Step by Step Guide to Designing an IDA Program
by Tim Flacke, Brian Grossman, and Colleen Dalley (published by the Corporation for Enterprise Development, 1999)
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Summary:
While providing individuals with safety nets, rental assistance, and supplementary income can keep them from sinking further into poverty, seldom does such aid provide the helping hand needed to pull them completely out. Increasingly, however, Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) are providing the means by which individuals can climb completely out of poverty by providing them with matching funds they can put towards purchasing a home, starting their own business, or going to school. This practical and comprehensive handbook provides you with everything you need to know about creating an IDA program from scratch.
The handbook begins with an overview of IDAs, then walks you step by step through the process of creating your own program. It contains the following chapters:
Chapter 1: About IDAs
Chapter 2: Building Blocks-Feasibility Assessment, How to Conduct a Focus Group, etc.
Chapter 3: Starting the Program/Program Structure-Staffing, Legal Issues, etc.
Chapter 4: Program Management-Budgeting, Funding, Record Keeping, etc.
Chapter 5: Financial Education and Training-Developing a Training Method, etc.
Chapter 6: Program Implementation: Recruitment, Retaining Program Participants, etc.
The book comes with a CD packed full of a wide range of resources designed to save you time and keep you from having to reinvent the wheel. Over fifty model documents or forms are offered as either Word files or Excel spreadsheets. Flack, Grossman, and Dalley also provide helpful appendices on a variety of topics: from Selected Publications on Asset-building and IDA’s to The Top Ten Lessons from IDA Practice.
Why does FASTEN recommend this resource?
Comprehensive, systematic, and detailed, this handbook covers all the bases. Very useful for even veteran IDA program managers, it is absolutely essential for those with little or no experience.
